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Community Information

The Community Center

In the center of the festival grounds you will find a big blue pop-up. This is our Community Center. Anyone is welcome at any time to use the Community Center. At times there  may be a workshop, so please try not to disturb this activity if you're not participating.  The Community Center is a great place to play a game, put a puzzle together, sit and talk or just enjoy a good cup of coffee. All Phamily members are welcome to bring their meals to the Center to eat. Sharing mealtime is a wonderful way to get the community together and is a great way to meet people.

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COMMUNITY SERVICE

Phoenix Phyre and Autumn Meet are community created events that are dependent on its volunteers. All adult attendees are encouraged to complete 2 hours of volunteer work during each festival. Community Service is a way to help our Phamily and improve your festival experience. Additionally, it helps you qualify for Association Membership. Sign-up sheets for all available positions and times are located at the Registration Booth.

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Phoenix Phamily Social

Time to reignite the Phyre! Welcome back Phamily. Wednesday night we will gather immediately after Opening Ritual at the Community Center to celebrate all we have learned and done in our time apart, and  to get reacquainted with one another. Wear your best fiery outfit or don the pheathers of the Phoenix to enjoy some good old fashioned rejuvenation with your Phamily!  Refreshments will be served. 

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Friday Night Party & Concert

We have a Friday night themed party, usually involving costumes, free food and, of course, our featured entertainment!

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Drum Circle

Our Phamily is blessed with the best late night drumming and dancing that can be found in the Pagan community. All drummers, all dancers, all chanters are welcome. Our hearts sing together in joy and love. All members of the Phoenix Phamily are asked to come and participate. Bring drums, horns, flutes, guitar, tambourine, cymbals, banjos, whistles, or just your voice. Dance if you can, clap along or just sit and watch, whatever makes you happy. There is room and a place for all in this Celebration. Drum Circle Guidelines

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VILLAGE MEETINGS

We have our first village meeting on Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM and a second village meeting on Saturday evening at 4:30 PM. The village meeting is essential for Phamily to hear any workshop changes or additions and major announcements. Who knows, you may even learn a new chant or dance! We ask that everyone attend, or send a member of your camp,  not only to be aware of what is going on in the community but to get to know the people around you. We hope to see you there.

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AUCTION & RAFFLE

Every Saturday evening immediately after the Saturday Village Meeting, an auction is held at the Community Center to raise money to replace or update festival inventory (tents, speaker systems, etc.) and to fund scholarships. 10% of all auction money goes to our General Scholarship Fund and 10% of all auction money goes into the Ellen Peterson Scholarship Fund. Auction items will be on display in the Community Center by Saturday afternoon. This event not only keeps our gate prices low, it is a very entertaining way to spend an hour. Please consider donating something to the auction and deliver it to Poppa John or Gail.

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We will also have a 50/50 raffle. Gail will be selling tickets for $1 each or six for $5. The person whose ticket is drawn receives half of the total amount of the “pot” and the other half goes to the festival. 

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Learn More About Our Community Fundraisers

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ELLEN PETERSON SCHOLARSHIP

Ellen Peterson was a member of our community for many years. She was a warrior for women’s religious rights and for the environment. She was a fierce protective voice for all living creatures on Earth. As a member of CUUPS, Fort Myers, for many years she espoused her love of Mother Earth through her Pagan beliefs. It is in her honor that Poppa John started the Ellen Peterson Scholarship Fund for our elders who may need assistance to continue to be a part of our Phamily. 

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YOUTH ACTIVITIES

We have an outstanding Youth’s Program. Please see the schedule of events in your event program. We also have a Teen Program; and, a Child Share Program for children 12 and under. To participate, please see our Youth’s Activities Coordinator. Parents are required to volunteer for Community Service in the Child Share Program if their child participates.

 

YOUTH CURFEW

We ask that all children & minors be at their camps by 11:00 PM. Children under the age of 16 years old are not allowed in the drum circle after 11 PM. This time is set aside for those adults who do not feel comfortable dancing with minors present.

Phoenix Festivals

Drum Circle Guidelines

by the florida funk collective​

Our Phamily is blessed with the best late night drumming and dancing that can be found in the Pagan community. All drummers, all dancers, all chanters are welcome. Our hearts sing together in joy and love. All members of the Phoenix Phamily are asked to come and participate. Bring drums, horns, flutes, guitar, tambourine, cymbals, banjos, whistles, or just your voice. Dance if you can, clap along or just sit and watch, whatever makes you happy. There is room and a place for all in this Celebration.

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DRUM CIRCLE GUIDELINES:

  • Never touch another person’s drum without permission, unless of course, it is necessary (like when it is beginning to rain).

  • Listen to the beat of the drum circle before you start playing. Get a feel for the bass rhythm – that is the foundation for the drum circle. When you play, play with the rest of the drummers, not over them. The time for finessing the rhythm is not constant, give others a chance to express themselves.

  • Dancers are a very integral and important part of a drum circle. With this in mind, do not crowd out the dancers in the circle. Dancers move in and out from the inner circle so there is ample opportunity to dance. 

  • The job of tending the fire belongs to a DESIGNATED fire tender. Please do not add anything to the ritual fire unless you have signed up for community service and are trained.

  • Mind your manners.  Dancers are not there to be groped, whistled at, molested or fondled. This goes for both male and female dancers. Anyone who makes any unwanted sexual advances of any kind will be treated as a sexual predator and will be removed immediately. Although giving a compliment to a dancer because you think they dance well is encouraged, rudeness is not.  No means No!

  • If a dancer wishes to dance for a particular musician (be it drummer or otherwise) please feel free. However, it is not polite to plant yourself one inch from the drummer and dance. Some drummers see this as invading their personal space.  With that said, expressing yourself is great and dancing for a particular drummer is an awesome way to say “Thank you!”

  • Warming your drum around the fire is allowed as long as you’re walking around the circle clockwise with the flow of dancers while holding your drum. This will help to prevent any tripping or collisions resulting in drums, drummers or dancers falling into the fire.

  • No glass in the ritual fire circle.

  • No smoking in the ritual fire circle.

  • Do not use the fire to burn garbage.

Drum Circle
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